LETTERS 19.5.18

Bye the by
THE recent decision by the WA Liberal Party not to contest the state by-elections doesn’t sit too well with Liberal voters in this state.
The voters in these areas need to send a message to Bill Shorten about his defiant attitude about Section 44 of the Constitution, and also his stance on not supporting increasing the GST rate to our state.
The last time Mr Shorten was in WA he promised us a catch-up amount of money to the state, but on returning to Canberra he pulled the plug on it all.
The voters of WA need to show politicians that we will not stand for anything less than 75 per cent of our GST by the next election.
We also need to show that the community of Australia are fed up with the ALP and the Greens holding the country to ransom and blocking every bill that goes to the senate.
By having candidates in these by-elections, it will be a chance to open up the block that is currently been experienced in the senate.
Let’s have an open-to-all-parties election, so the electorate can vote for the party that they think will do the best job running this country.
Bill Shorten sat on his hands for seven months over Section 44, and told everybody his team was safe.
Well Mr Shorten, you have been caught out again and not for the first time this year either.Steve CrudenWitts Lane, Kwinana

Mane attraction
A LION is dead and a man in hospital after an attack at the Makarele Predator Centre in South Africa.
Mike Hodge, “the park owner”, entered the enclosure, even though he was aware that the lions were nearby and unsettled.
The lion easily caught him and dragged him into the bushes as observers screamed in shock and panic.
The lion was later killed, for doing nothing more than acting like a lion.
Yet again, captivity has led to suffering and death for a magnificent animal.
Even under the “best” circumstances, captivity is never acceptable for big cats, and as cases like prove, it’s often deadly.
This tragedy is exactly why People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals urges families to stay away from facilities that display animals as living exhibits for humans to gawk at.Desmond BellamyPeople for Ethical Treatment ofAnimals, Byron Bay

Lovely gesture
ISABELLA Rose Greenwood, aged nine, sent a drawing of a five cent coin, with its image of the Queen of England on it, and a letter to Buckingham Palace.
She received a lovely letter back from the palace.
She is so delighted: her art is something that builds her self esteem at Beaconsfield Primary School.
How wonderful, a keepsake from the longest reigning monarch to a small child in South Fremantle. Delightful.Sheila GreenwoodDouro Road, South Fremantle

A royal letdown
WHILE I appreciate Saracen Properties wishing to consult with the community, I found it troubling when going to the open day and viewing what is proposed for the Royal George Hotel.
It is astonishing when the developer is indicating that they will not be able to make enough money with less than an 18-storey building—if they were to fix the Royal George Hotel—and found it disturbing that the alternative they showed us was for a very ugly lower-height building.
The Town of East Fremantle should not be a place for such a high-rise building and I for one do not believe we should be accepting what is being proposed.
The Royal George Hotel is an iconic part of East Fremantle’s heritage and should be treated with much more thought than what is being planned.
Not to mention what it will do to the parking issues that will come from this planned development.Liz SchultinkKing Street, East Fremantle

He doesn’t flounce
MICHAEL PORTILLO doesn’t “flounce around Britain”.
He makes interesting programs all over the world, with a great sense of humour.
He doesn’t mind making a fool of himself, as well as being informative.
That’s why his programs are so popular.
Lucky Fremantle to be visited by him.Marion ColeAlfred CoveSub-ed says: Michael Portillo showcases a Britain that no longer exists. A quaint, green island populated by candlestick makers, glassblowers and pheasant pluckers. Then there’s Portillo’s attire, which makes him look like a cross between Beetlejuice and Cliff Richard.If the future of television is middle–class fluff like Escape to the Country and Great British Railway Journeys, then I’m buying a one-way train ticket to Dignitas.

Monarchy are great
The royal family may live in comfort, but they certainly do not have easy lives.
Being in the spotlight all the time must be very difficult, constantly being polite and interested in all situations.
They support many charities and are very knowledgeable about the particular charity they are visiting.
For example, Prince Harry and the Invictus Games, the Duchess of Cornwall supports a charity donating books to children, and also a domestic violence charity, helping women and children experiencing abuse at home.
I could go on with a long list of work the royal family do at home and overseas.
The Queen has always been a strong supporter of the Commonwealth and worked tirelessly for its countries.
The royal family stand for continuity and stability in an ever-changing world.Margaret PaynterMoran Street, Beaconsfield

Anzac Day rethink?
NOW that the parades and bugles of Anzac Day are over for another year, I wonder if this intense national annual observance should gradually begin to lessen its prominence in our calendar.
Perhaps to evolve into something quieter, more contemplative and more in context with the lengthening and broadening history of our multi-cultural nation.
It is now more than one hundred years since the Gallipoli landings and close to 100 years since the end of the Great War.
These momentous events of bygone Empire are now well beyond living memory. The stories of the Anzacs are no longer personal.
Families, such as my own, are gradually losing touch with the generations of the world wars.
The march of time is transforming the lived experience into our broadly shared history.
I do not mean to be disrespectful of our memory of the Anzacs or to deny the importance of the powerful ‘lest we forget’ message that the slaughter of war is a dreadful tragedy.
Rather, I worry that we seem to be fostering and encouraging a disproportionate national obsession with a particular WW I battle that perhaps blinds us to our broader Australian history and the recognition of those many other leaders, warriors, strugglers and talented minds in so many fields of endeavour that contributed to and moulded this wonderful nation.
We appear to be a bit stranded in our official Anzac obsession and I think it is time to rethink and re-calibrate its role in our lives and gradually and respectfully move on.John AdderleyWardie Street, South Fremantle